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Norseman History, WA.

Edward John Eyre explored the south coast of Western Australia in the 1840s and JS Roe named the Dundas Hills in 1848. In 1864-5 a sheep station was established at Esperance and between 1871 and 1880 sheep stations were established at Mundrabilla, Fraser Range and Balladonia. Between 1876 and 1878 the Overland Telegraph was built along the coast from Albany to Adelaide. Gold prospectors working in the area in the 1890s found a rich outcrop of ore they named 'Great Dundas', the 'Dundas Field' was proclaimed in August 1893 and the townsite of Dundas was established. In the following year Laurie Sinclair discovered a rich gold body about 4 miles north of Dundas which was registered as 'Norseman' on 13 August 1894. Dundas remained the major township in the area at first but the gold fields at Norseman were richer than those at Dundas and Norseman outgrew Dundas. Norseman was declared a town in 1895; in that year a post office and two banks (West Australian Bank and Commercial Bank of Australia) opened. Also in 1895 the first doctor arrived in town and a tent was established as a hospital. Development continued and by 1899 there were five hotels in Norseman. In that year Cobb & Co Coaches began a mail service. During these years Norseman prospered as the mines boomed. In 1909 the railway between Norseman and Coolgardie was completed but coaches were still used between Norseman and Esperance. A telephone exchange began working in 1913 and a golf course was built in the salt lakes in 1914. The First World War labour shortages and working out of nearly all the major mines led to a rapid decrease in gold production and the population decreased to about 300 by 1920. Attempts were made to revive the industry and the railway between Norseman and Esperance was completed in 1929. In 1935 Western Mining began a new era for Norseman when they began investing in facilities. The water pipeline from Coolgardie was extended to Norseman, electricity was provided and the company supported the Roads Board in constructing roads and footpaths. Today Central Norseman Gold Corporation is the major mining company in the town with numerous mining operations in the Shire of Dundas.

Information Shire of Dundas web site. http://www.dundas.wa.gov.au/tourism/history.html on 24 March 2007.

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